108,328 ▲ +17.0%
Higher than 79% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 92,621
- 2016: 99,490
- 2021: 108,328
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Shoalhaven · Sub-region (SA3)
Demographics & Identity in Shoalhaven
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Far older residents than the national average define Shoalhaven, where the typical person is 48. The region has seen a steady increase in its population, which grew by 17% to reach 108,328 people in 2021.
108,328
▲ +17.0%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–2: 0 areas
- 2–4: 0 areas
- 4–6: 0 areas
- 6–9: 2 areas
- 9–15: 2 areas
- 15–23: 1 area
- 23–37: 0 areas
- 37–57: 1 area
- 57–90: 0 areas
- 90–141: 1 area
- 141–221: 1 area
- 221–347: 1 area
- 347–545: 2 areas
- 545–854: 3 areas
- 854–1,340: 0 areas
- 1,340–2,101: 3 areas
- 2,101–3,296: 1 area
- 3,296–5,169: 2 areas
- 5,169–8,107: 3 areas
- 8,107–12,714: 7 areas
- 12,714–19,940: 16 areas
- 19,940–31,273: 30 areas
- 31,273–49,048: 61 areas
- 49,048–76,924: 90 areas
- 76,924–120,643: 70 areas
- 120,643–189,211: 46 areas
- 189,211–296,748: 12 areas
All sub-region (sa3) areas, 2021. The marker is Shoalhaven — higher than 79% of areas.
| Shoalhaven | 108,328 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NSW | 2,829,637 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population has grown by 15,707 people since 2011. This growth has happened alongside an ageing trend, as the typical resident is now two years older than they were in 2011.
48 yrs ▲ +4.3%
Older than 88% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 46 yrs
- 2016: 48 yrs
- 2021: 48 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 28.1% of the population, a figure far above the national average of 17.2%. This high proportion of older people is reflected in the children's share, which is a little below the state and national figures at 16%.
28.1% ▲ +20.4%
Higher than 94% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 23.3%
- 2016: 26.5%
- 2021: 28.1%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
16.0% ▼ -9.5%
Lower than 75% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 17.7%
- 2016: 16.4%
- 2021: 16.0%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Shoalhaven splits fairly evenly between Seniors (65+) (28%) and Older adults (45–64) (26%), with Young adults (25–44) at 20%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.5% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. Those in de facto relationships now account for 12.2% of the area, up 3.1 points since 2011.
6.5% ▲ +39.9%
Higher than 79% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 4.7%
- 2016: 5.5%
- 2021: 6.5%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
12.2% ▲ +33.4%
Lower than 51% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 9.2%
- 2016: 10.7%
- 2021: 12.2%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Shoalhaven, the largest group is Married at 48%, followed by Never married (30%) and Divorced (11%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Shoalhaven
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Shoalhaven [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/11401/shoalhaven/topic/demographics-identity